Really Need A UK Bank Account

[Tuvoc]

Here is info on the Transferwise account status:

 

https://transferwise.com/help/17/borderless-account/2736035/how-is-a-borderless-account-different-than-a-bank-account

 

it is an electronic money account rather than a bank account. 

 

"Although your bank details are unique, they don't represent real bank accounts, but simply "addresses" for your electronic money account. You can still use them to receive payments though, like a real bank account"

[torturedsole]

4 minutes ago, Tuvoc said:

My wife opened a current account with Lloyds recently. Done totally online with no webcam or anything and no visit to the bank. ID and address checks were all electronic behind the scenes.

Where is your wife ordinarily resident?

[Tuvoc]

27 minutes ago, torturedsole said:

Where is your wife ordinarily resident?

One of the questions they ask online is if you are UK resident, and I guess the application can't proceed if you are not.  The point I was trying to address is the assertion that you need a physical bank visit and all of the paper ID. You don't, with some banks it can all be electronic. The credit check finds the electoral roll information, finds the address, the house, the council tax etc.

 

 

[Wullie Mercer]

19 hours ago, Pilotman said:

don't do that.  Nobody is that trustworthy. 

I think he means the 20GBP to open the account, not the 50,000 pension money.

[Macthehat]

23 hours ago, CorpusChristie said:

Wont he need proof of living at that address, like a bill or something official ?

No , just a digital photo of his passport for verification.  But he will need an address for the card to be posted to in the uk ... 

[theoldgit]

9 hours ago, jimn said:

Things have changed unfotunately you need identity ID and UK address ID to open any sort of UK account nowadays. Its all about money laundering checks.

 

Santander International is aimed at Expats and International customers you do need to present ID but not a UK address. 

 

From your link

Expat and International customers

We offer banking and savings accounts for UK expats living or working overseas. We also offer international banking and savings accounts for UK resident, non-domiciled customers. Choose the level of service which is right for you.

[jimn]

8 minutes ago, theoldgit said:

 

Santander International is aimed at Expats and International customers you do need to present ID but not a UK address. 

 

From your link

Expat and International customers

We offer banking and savings accounts for UK expats living or working overseas. We also offer international banking and savings accounts for UK resident, non-domiciled customers. Choose the level of service which is right for you.

Looks like this is a Foreign Currency Account (FCA) offered by many of the major banks. Its not actually a UK banking account where the 2 forms of ID are required to open including address ID. The FCA may meet the requirements of the OP it all depends on his circumstances

[theoldgit]

12 minutes ago, jimn said:

Looks like this is a Foreign Currency Account (FCA) offered by many of the major banks. Its not actually a UK banking account where the 2 forms of ID are required to open including address ID. The FCA may meet the requirements of the OP it all depends on his circumstances

 

No, it's what it says it is, it's an offshore account targeting expats and other international customers.

The account is in Sterling, it has a UK sort code, my State and Civil Service Pensions are paid directly into it, I can make online payments and transfers to the UK and even set up direct debits, it comes with a Visa debit card.

[jimn]

4 minutes ago, theoldgit said:

 

No, it's what it says it is, it's an offshore account targeting expats and other international customers.

The account is in Sterling, it has a UK sort code, my State and Civil Service Pensions are paid directly into it, I can make online payments and transfers to the UK and even set up direct debits, it comes with a Visa debit card.

Fair enough thanks for clarifying

[stupidfarang]

On 5/30/2020 at 2:19 AM, CorpusChristie said:

Wont he need proof of living at that address, like a bill or something official ?

To be honest, cannot remember. I know you must upload ID and you must make a video with them as you apply using your mobile phone. I have set up an account with them from overseas, but you do need to be a resident of the UK, which technically I am and I do have an address in the UK. Worth having a go, only takes a few minutes, but you must have a VPN when searching for the app on Play Store and for when you are applying so it shows you in the UK

[sead]

 

Have you contacted them directly? I don't think you have

Edited May 31, 2020 by sead

[rickudon]

Not really any help now to the OP, but this thread does show that you do need to consider maintaining some financial presence in your home country even if you never intend returning - if you may have pensions, investments or maybe inheritance to deal with at a later time. Rules do change, not so easy to open an account now in the UK if you are a ghost to the system.

 

I do maintain an address (relative) and have bank accounts. Activity is maintained by sending money from one account to the next by SO or internet banking, and back to the beginning again. So no account becomes dormant, and do not need to fund these accounts regularly once seed money was banked. It also means i have a credit rating and can borrow money - something which has come in useful once or twice.

 

Just a suggestion.

[torturedsole]

11 minutes ago, rickudon said:

Not really any help now to the OP, but this thread does show that you do need to consider maintaining some financial presence in your home country even if you never intend returning - if you may have pensions, investments or maybe inheritance to deal with at a later time. Rules do change, not so easy to open an account now in the UK if you are a ghost to the system.

I agree and this was something I thought about yesterday when reading this thread as I expect that my wife and I will end up in LOS on a semi-permanent / permanent basis in the future and much easier to have it all bolted down before leaving the UK.  I have a few personal UK bank accounts and my wife has her own in a separate bank so very easy to keep them alive by moving cash between them once a month.  I also have UK credit cards and would keep the zero foreign transaction fee cards alive as well.  So, a good OP.

 

Anyway and IMO, the offshore account looks the like the path of least resistance for the OP at this juncture and not an insurmountable problem.  

[Brewster67]

On 5/30/2020 at 3:06 PM, Tuvoc said:

If the money is coming from a UK pension, why can it not be paid directly into your Transferwise Borderless account ? That has a sort code and account number and is a UK bank account in all meaningful respects.

Because they don't give you the account details until you have made the first 20 quid deposit and that is the bottleneck trying to get 20 GBP into it when my UK bank accou8nt got closed.

 

I could make the transfer from just about any country on earth apart from Thailand because of their stupid rules about transferring cash out of the country.

[partington]

26 minutes ago, Brewster67 said:

Because they don't give you the account details until you have made the first 20 quid deposit and that is the bottleneck trying to get 20 GBP into it when my UK bank accou8nt got closed.

 

I could make the transfer from just about any country on earth apart from Thailand because of their stupid rules about transferring cash out of the country.

Seriously, the advice given by Old Git and others above is all you need. When I lived in Thailand I also had expat accounts with both Santander and  HSBC. These offshore branches of UK banks are situated in either Jersey or the Isle of Man, and they give you a UK sort code, a Visa card and online banking. You can pay money out to UK sources, and have any UK source money you like paid into them, just like an onshore UK bank. There is a minimum deposit amount but it sounds like you would meet it.

 

It is a bit of a hassle, as you need to send a certified passport copy and 2 proofs of address with the application form, but I got a local lawyer firm that were Thai notaries to do the certification and luckily had letters from HMRC to use as address proof. I had a bad experience with HSBC taking literally 4 months to open the account but Santander did it within a week of my forms arriving.

 

Once you have opened the account you can bank for life within the UK system with no worries about UK onshore banks closing your account when they find you are non-resident.

 

Edited June 1, 2020 by partington

[mickylongtime]

Hi I have a kasikorn sterling acc I transfer in sterling and wait till I feel that the rate is good for me then I change it into bhat, but the rate is not the best

. But now I use PayPal zoom or I find transferwise a little bit better, could you not bring cash over then change when you want ????

[Tuvoc]

On 5/31/2020 at 3:27 PM, rickudon said:

Not really any help now to the OP, but this thread does show that you do need to consider maintaining some financial presence in your home country even if you never intend returning - if you may have pensions, investments or maybe inheritance to deal with at a later time. Rules do change, not so easy to open an account now in the UK if you are a ghost to the system.

 

I do maintain an address (relative) and have bank accounts. 

 

In my case, I don't have any relatives in the UK, so once I leave it will be difficult.

 

My financial advisor who looks after my private pension will be able to advise me of the best course of action. My guess is he will probably suggest something like Santander.

Edited June 1, 2020 by Tuvoc

[Korat88]

Just had a shock and been told that after 16+ years as a Cater Allen (Santander) client my account has been closed in the UK even though I have used it for all those years from two different countries. Excuse given "internal review and you live overseas"! Given the information on this thread does that mean there is no hope of opening another alternative account in the UK to pay rent received from UK property and other payments like Premium Bonds etc...? Very disappointed in CA and would appreciate any help to get back on track. Thanks.

[partington]

56 minutes ago, Korat88 said:

Just had a shock and been told that after 16+ years as a Cater Allen (Santander) client my account has been closed in the UK even though I have used it for all those years from two different countries. Excuse given "internal review and you live overseas"! Given the information on this thread does that mean there is no hope of opening another alternative account in the UK to pay rent received from UK property and other payments like Premium Bonds etc...? Very disappointed in CA and would appreciate any help to get back on track. Thanks.

You must open an expat account  in branches of UK banks Santander or HSBC, situated in Jersey or the Isle of Man. I previously did both from Thailand. There are other banks too, like Standard Bank, that will do this but I have no experience of them.

 

You can look these up on the banks' websites under 'offshore accounts'.  Though offshore they have UK banking system sort codes and account numbers, and can be used to pay bills in GBP and for regular deposits from any other UK bank or payment source e.g. rental deposits from a letting agency in the UK.  They also provide debit cards for ATM use.

 

They can be opened from Thailand but are a initially bit of a hassle to open as they require a notarised/certified copy of your UK passport [Thai lawyer/ notaries are fine eg Siam Legal did mine], and two proofs of address, such as utility bills, letter/statement from a UK bank or letters to you from HMRC or other government source ( I sent HMRC queries about NI contributions that prompted them to reply by mail specifically to get one of these as address proof- my other was a letter from Barclays bank. I was afraid they would close my UK account so opened two offshore ones as belt and braces insurance). Utility bill would have to be in English or certified notarised translation. If you have statements from your UK bank before the account was closed that are less than 3 months old these will do - I seem to remember.

 

Also it has been about three years since I closed both my HSBC and Santander offshore accounts so I am not up to date, but at least one of them had a minimum deposit amount of 25,000GBP to avoid bank charges.  

 

This is the only secure and certain way of remaining in the UK banking system without the threat of sudden account closure, and is well worth it for peace of mind despite the initial work needed to do the opening.

 

Edited January 21, 2021 by partington

[Korat88]

Many thanks for your helpful reply Partington. I am checking out Standard Bank offshore now as HSBC and Lloyds need large sums of capital tied up to even open an account and keep it active: https://www.expertsforexpats.com/products/best-offshore-bank-accounts/

 

Not really interested in anything to do with Santander anymore and besides they may make life more difficult given my account with them in the UK has just been closed!

Edited January 21, 2021 by Korat88

[Crossy]

This is an increasing problem for UK account holders, Barclays bounced me a number of years ago, Nationwide don't seem worried just yet.

 

I do have a Lloyds offshore account in the IoM which I opened some years back so that's my backup if Nationwide does go pear-shaped. Do have a look at the Lloyds International website there are (or at least were) several options for accounts which don't need a massive standing balance.

[quake]

7 hours ago, Korat88 said:

Many thanks for your helpful reply Partington. I am checking out Standard Bank offshore now as HSBC and Lloyds need large sums of capital tied up to even open an account and keep it active: https://www.expertsforexpats.com/products/best-offshore-bank-accounts/

 

Not really interested in anything to do with Santander anymore and besides they may make life more difficult given my account with them in the UK has just been closed!

Santander international, is very different to the uk high street Santander.

like night and day, to deal with. it's worth a go.

 

[Tuvoc]

8 hours ago, Korat88 said:

Many thanks for your helpful reply Partington. I am checking out Standard Bank offshore now as HSBC and Lloyds need large sums of capital tied up to even open an account and keep it active: https://www.expertsforexpats.com/products/best-offshore-bank-accounts/

 

 

Standard Bank seems to be the one with the least onerous requirements. I may have to go that route as well, but for now even though I'm based overseas a monthly salary is going into my UK account so that will look fairly normal.

[Stocky]

On 5/30/2020 at 8:17 AM, stupidfarang said:

you can open an online account with Monzo or Starling (two very good online banks) you will need a UK address (daughter, son or friends address)? you will also need to aply online using a VPN so it shows you are online in the UK. Good luck

Not possible as you need to supply a UK address supported by a utility bill in your name which the OP cannot do.

 

On 5/30/2020 at 12:14 PM, LOUIS65 said:

Be wary of Monza, Sterling , I have read many bad reviews, so do check throughly so that your money does not get frozen in an account with them , as poor customer service if things go wrong. 

Nothing wrong with Monzo Bank, it's recognised by the The Financial Services Compensation Scheme (FSCS) so you're covered up to a value of £85,000. The debit card works fine, even in Thailand. Transfers overseas are easy with the TransferWise integration.

[Korat88]

Thank you for the other replies to my query. I am inquiring with Standard Bank and so far the preliminary correspondence has been efficient. Will see what transpires. I will update here if there is any interest in me doing so.

 

Supplying a UK address (utility bill etc with MY name..) isn't possible even though I have two UK properties. I know that this was addressed at the OP. Still, it has been suggested to me by another friend too. Unfortunately, I don't have any family in the UK who can help anymore either. They have all passed away.

[Korat88]

Received a reply from Standard Bank: "I regret to inform you that we are unable to currently offer you banking facilities as it does not support our current business strategy. Standard Bank’s primary target market is African nationals living outside their place of birth."

 

Now looking to see if Transferwise will be an option. Failing that looks like will have to tie-up 25,000 to qualify to open an offshore account. Banks really are making it hard for expats!

 

 

[schondie]

I went through hell a few years ago trying to open a UK bank account after being over here for a few years. Without a lease agreement from a recognised housing association, utility bill etc. no bank would let me open a bank account.

 

In the end a friend helped me out with a lease agreement saying I was in a bail hostel (the bank worker who had been trying to help me for weeks knew it was rubbish) and the bank's HQ OK'd it. 

 

British passport and driving license didn't help at all. 

[Tuvoc]

On 1/25/2021 at 12:27 PM, Korat88 said:

Now looking to see if Transferwise will be an option. Failing that looks like will have to tie-up 25,000 to qualify to open an offshore account. Banks really are making it hard for expats!

 

 

 

I just emailed Transferwise and got a response.  They said that when I permanently relocate to Thailand I can keep my existing Borderless account and my existing green debit card, and they are happy to post replacement cards to Thailand. So I'll ditch my high street UK banks at that time as they won't be necessary. 

Edited January 28, 2021 by Tuvoc

[chilly07]

I got Transferwise to mail their MasterCard  to a family address in the UK who sent it on so I could use their borderless account if my UK bank closed on me. Didn't need the card to operate the account but it felt strange without one

[Korat88]

I have now managed to open a TransferWise account. The process was a bit of a pain but eventually I was accepted. Now to see how it goes. Hopefully it will be smooth, and the answer to my recent banking woes!